MLB.com Twins beat reporter Rhett Bollinger keeps you up to date on all Twins news

Nishioka optioned to Triple-A; lineup vs. Red Sox

FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Twins made a slew of roster cuts this morning with the most notable being the decision to option infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka to Triple-A Rochester.

Nishioka, 27, hit .240/.269/.320 in nine games this spring, but never looked comfortable at the plate or in the field.

The decision to option Nishioka this early in camp is somewhat of a surprise, especially given the fact that he’s in the second year of a three-year deal worth $9.25 million.

Nishioka, though, took the demotion in stride, saying he plans on working hard to get another chance with the Twins.

“It’s definitely tough to swallow but it’s not like it’s getting baseball taken away from me,” Nishioka said through translator Ryo Shinkawa. “I came from Japan for a challenge at this in this country. So I’m just going to not give up and look for the opportunity to get back up here.”

Asked what he was told by manager Ron Gardenhire to work on down in the Minors, Nishioka said, “To slow the game down and be back to my old self when I was playing in Japan.”

Nishioka was a five-time All-Star in Japan and won a batting title in his last season there in ’10 while helping lead the Chiba Lotte Marines to the Japan Series title.

But he struggled last season with the Twins, hitting just .226/.278/.249 with five doubles in 68 games. He also made 12 errors in the field, including 10 at shortstop and two at second base.

He was bothered by injuries, as he suffered a broken left fibula when the Yankees’ Nick Swisher slid into him while trying to break up a double play at second base on April 7 that forced him to miss 59 games. He also missed time late in the year with a strained right oblique, and played in his last game of the season on Sept. 9 as a result.

Meta

The following are trademarks or service marks of Major League Baseball entities and may be used only with permission of Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. or the relevant Major League Baseball entity: Major League, Major League Baseball, MLB, the silhouetted batter logo, World Series, National League, American League, Division Series, League Championship Series, All-Star Game, and the names, nicknames, logos, uniform designs, color combinations, and slogans designating the Major League Baseball clubs and entities, and their respective mascots, events and exhibitions.